September 6, 2013

During this week there have been several community-building
activities to help us start off the school year with a positive sense of
purpose. The Board Retreat served as
wonderful means for the Board itself, along with administration and faculty
representatives, to form bonds of collaboration in guiding the school as a
community through this coming year.
Goals were set for this year, as well as the process for strategic
planning for the long term. Frank and
civil discourse was used to establish clarity on goals and to maintain positive
working relationships that will be productive throughout the year. I was quite heartened by the earnest efforts
of all members in their efforts to creatively solve problems and develop plans
for the benefit of the school as a whole.
These discussions were actually quite stimulating and fun, even as they
were relieved from time to time with good humor. Please see coming reports from the Board on
the results of the Retreat. The Board is
committed to communicating frequently and thoroughly with us all throughout the
year.

Our high school students enjoyed their team building retreat
down at Toubab Dialaw this week despite the heavy rain on Thursday morning. This has given them a chance to get to know
each other and befriend new arrivals.
These activities are meant to help build bonds among our students and
they bode well for a rewarding school year together.

The PTO met on Tuesday for its first official meeting. I am pleased to report that over 30 members
were in attendance and that many signed up on teams that will sponsor events
and activities this school year. Newly
arrived parents took part, as did returning members. For the first time, we had a translator
delivering French summaries of the proceedings.
The PTO will bring much to building up our community this school
year.

In our first faculty meeting following the start of classes,
I shared some observations and advice for furthering positive communications
that can build up the ISD community.
Since arriving, I have noted the effects of tensions that troubled the
community last year and I have been thinking of ways to move forward to
building a better, healthier community.
I think it is helpful to review these among faculty and parents. We actually have most of what is needed at
hand, the first being the willingness of community members to practice good
communication. Our Student/Parent
Handbook outlines the school’s core values and it sets out the main
communication channels that foster healthy interaction. In the parent agreement section, there are
several principles cited that promote respect among community members. These include knowing, respecting and
supporting school and classroom rules. I
quote a key tenet, “Treating all ISD members as one would like to be treated in
turn: with respect, good manners, and cultural sensitivity.”

Our handbook outlines the communication protocol to be used
by all. In principle, bring issues first
to the person who is closest to the problem – which is usually the teacher. Then, if necessary, approach the principal,
and later, if needed, the director. Once
these channels have been exhausted, one may approach the board, through an
initial letter to the board chair. This
is not meant to sound or feel like some bureaucratic maze. The intent is to ensure that proper
communication with the individual closest to the situation actually happens
first. Leap-frogging to supervisors
further up the ladder usually leaves the actual problem solver with frustration
and resentment. Better to meet face to
face. This also addresses recourse to emails,
rumors and gossip that go around behind someone’s back, creating more
emotional trouble and social pressure than is truly helpful in directly solving
a problem. Frank, respectful and civil
communication best builds good working relationships and a healthy
community. I encourage us all to keep
these principles in practice the better to build a healthy ISD community that
best serves our students and children.